John Dyslin: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Mount ProspectWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mount Prospect Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 50Family: 1 son, not marriedOccupation: Residential Analyst, Cook County Board of ReviewEducation: Master's Degree in Journalism, Louisiana State University 1988; Bachelor of Science, Journalism, Southern Illinois University 1985Civic involvement: Congregational President, St. John Lutheran Church in Mt. Prospect; Republicans of Wheeling TownshipElected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Property taxes. As an analyst on the Cook County Board of Review I have attended dozens of outreaches in which hundreds, if not thousands, of homeowners discuss how they are having an increasingly difficult time affording their property taxes. In the last 10 years, for most homeowners they have seen their property taxes double, at the minimum. In each of the last three years, Mt. Prospect has increased its portion of the property taxes by about 4 percent each year. A recent study noted that in the property tax increases in the 6-county Chicago metropolitan area are not sustainable. Governments must hold the line on property taxes and be more creative in their budgeting to not be as much of a burden on the homeowner. One segment specifically being hurt by the property tax increases are seniors on fixed incomes.Key Issue 2 Greater transparency and accountability in government. The Mt. Prospect budget must be easier for residents to navigate on the website than tackling a 300+ page document. All salaries must be online. Greater use of technology for residents to view village meetings. If elected, I also will regularly walk the neighborhoods in order to meet and talk with residents. One thing I heard as I was obtaining signatures for my petitions was that it was the first time homeowners ever had a trustee or candidate for trustee show up at their doorstep.Key Issue 3 Greater business development in Mt. Prospect. It is a tough economy and it's tough for businesses to make money. Mt. Prospect can do a better job of obtaining businesses, making the village more business friendly and supporting its existing businesses.Questions Answers What's working at Village of Randhurst? What worries you about the Village of Randhurst? Talk about the rate of occupancy, the mix of businesses and the customer traffic. What can the village do to improve those things?There are some very nice eateries at Randhurst and more stores are filling the vacant spaces. The chains will probably continue to do well such as PetSmart; CostCo; Bed, Bath and Beyond; and such. The key will be how the more independent stores will do. The economy will dictate much of that as well as getting the word out to the community, and if the products they offer meet the demands and needs of the consumer. I think more can be done to let area residents know of the offerings at Randhurst Village.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.The decrease in the Cook County sales tax rate has helped some, though sales tax rates are still in the 10 percent range (combination of all the various sales tax rates from the state, county, village, etc.) I understand that Mt. Prospect is trying to do the best it can to bring in revenue it needs while not overburdening taxpayers (though as noted in my discussion on property taxes, not enough is being done and folks are being overtaxed). More business in the village will help. Bringing in more business that thrives is the $6 million question. Can it happen? At the moment, I would favor leaving the sales tax as is but with an eye toward lowering it in the future if the economy picks up enough.Has the village's flooding issues been adequately addressed? Explain.I believe the village is trying to do the best it can to address the issue. Steps have been taken near River Rd., and closer into downtown where some problems have occurred. The Deep Tunnel Project was to help fix some of those problems. It is difficult for anything to handle unusual precipitation events like those have occurred in recent years. We can plan and take steps but there are times where Mother Nature will let us know who is boss. But from what I know the village has been addressing the issues and taking steps to fix them as best as possible.What are the village's biggest public safety concerns? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.At this point I don't see a public safety issue in Mt. Prospect. We have a police staff of about 90, which means that at any given time there are about 20 officers on duty. Mt. Prospect is not a high crime town. We have adequate police and fire protection. The roads are generally in good shape. Snow removal that the village controls is done pretty well. We are a relatively safe community.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I don't think there really is any area in which a village department is underfunded. Obviously, one concern is the pension system for Mt. Prospect workers and how much of the overall budget pie that takes up and will take up in the future. I also don't think any one part of the budget needs extra trimming, but I would advocate that perhaps slight cuts throughout the village budget can be done without jeopardizing existing services whether it be police, fire or public works. I recognize that the overall budget for Mt. Prospect has remained in mid $90 million range for a few years now, but there are those property tax increases. After not bringing in much revenue 3 to 4 years ago and beyond, Randhurst should be bringing in more revenue to help. The village must look at (and I know it is in the process of doing so) ways to enhance the downtown area, make it more attractive to businesses and that the traffic is sufficient enough for businesses to thrive rather than close their doors. I also would like to see area towns work more closely together in providing services. There might be some programs that for instance Arlington Heights, Mt. Prospect and Prospect Heights provide that perhaps rather than doing them individually, do them collectively to hopefully save money. I think it is imperative that all governments think outside of the box and not continue doing the same things they always have. Budgets are going to be tight for as far as the eye can see, but we cannot keep looking at homeowners as our endless bank.